With the season just past the midway point, the Skatin’ Utes are once again one of the premier club hockey teams in the West.
“We’ve been doing pretty well,” said team captain Chase McDonald. “All in all, we’ve played some good hockey, and we’ve beat some good teams.”
One of those recent wins came against rival BYU. Historically, the No. 3 Utes have had the upper hand in the series against the Cougars, but this game tested them.
BYU jumped out to an early two-goal lead, before Utah battled back to take a 4-3 lead early in the third period. However, the Cougars didn’t go away, scoring with six minutes remaining to send the game into overtime.
On just the second shift in OT, sophomore Michael Ahern headed along the boards while fighting off checks from the Cougar defenders to get in front of the net. Ahern slid the puck past the BYU goalie to give Utah a 5-4 win.
“That game was really good for us,” McDonald said. “It gave us a gut check and reminded us where we get our success.”
The teams’ success and chemistry doesn’t just come out of nowhere. They are a tight-knit group that really thrives off each other. Shane Storer is in his first year with the squad and the atmosphere surrounding the team is part of the reason he enjoys college hockey.
“The friends that you make are incredible,” Storer said.
Constructing the team isn’t just about finding the best possible talent — rather, it’s about finding the right guys that will fit in with the rest of the team. McDonald said that when recruiting players the team looks more at the character of an individual, not just how well they can handle a puck.
Having the captain’s C on his chest is a responsibility McDonald takes seriously, knowing it requires having the kind of attitude and work ethic other people can look up to.
“Chase is one of our good leaders both on and off the ice,” said Utah general manager AJ Boldan. “He is a great volunteer in the community, and he knows what he needs to get done and does it.”
With the help of McDonald’s leadership, the Utes are trending in the right direction, and the team is right where they want to be as the postseason draws near.
“I feel like we’ve had a very strong season so far, while also having gone through a lot of adversity,” Ahern said.
That adversity has proven to be a learning experience for Utah, and that’s something McDonald enjoys about playing hockey.
“I’ve learned way more about being human by playing hockey than anything else,” McDonald said. “We teach guys how to work as a team and how to be respectful. We preach hard work, determination and success.”
The Utes will look to use what they’ve learned when they finish their season playing for a championship on their home ice by hosting the American Collegiate Hockey Association D-II Nationals in March.
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